2 Samuel 11 summary meaning ai explained commentary

2 Samuel 11 meaning explained in AI Summary

2 Samuel 11 is a chapter in the Book of 2 Samuel that recounts a tragic incident involving King David and Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

David's Lust for Bathsheba: While his army is away at war, David sees Bathsheba bathing from his palace roof and is smitten with her.
Bathsheba's Pregnancy: David sends for Bathsheba, sleeps with her, and she becomes pregnant.
Covering Up the Sin: David attempts to cover up his sin by having Uriah return to the battlefield, hoping he will be killed in battle.
Uriah's Loyalty: Uriah refuses to leave his men while they are still in battle, demonstrating his loyalty to David and his country.
David's Plan: David devises a plan to have Uriah drunk and then send him home to sleep with his wife, hoping she will miscarry.
Uriah's Death: Uriah follows David's plan, but Bathsheba does not become pregnant. David then orders Uriah to be placed in the front lines of battle, where he is killed.
Nathan's Confrontation: The prophet Nathan confronts David with his sin, using a parable to expose his wrongdoing.
David's Repentance: David acknowledges his sin and repents, expressing deep sorrow for his actions.
God's Judgment: Despite David's repentance, God declares that the consequences of his sin will not be avoided.

Key Themes in 2 Samuel 11

The Dangers of Power and Lust: The chapter warns against the dangers of unchecked power and the temptation to give in to lust.
The Consequences of Sin: David's actions lead to tragedy and destruction for himself, Bathsheba, and Uriah.
The Importance of Accountability: The prophet Nathan's confrontation with David highlights the importance of accountability and the need for individuals to face the consequences of their actions.
The Power of Repentance: Despite the severity of his sin, David's repentance demonstrates the possibility of redemption and forgiveness.

Overall, 2 Samuel 11 is a cautionary tale about the dangers of sin and the importance of moral leadership. It serves as a reminder that no one is above the consequences of their actions.

2 Samuel 11 bible study ai commentary

2 Samuel 11 details the catastrophic moral collapse of King David. Shirking his duty to lead Israel in battle, David's idleness leads to lust, adultery with Bathsheba, and a pregnancy he cannot hide. His subsequent attempts to deceive her faithful husband, Uriah, fail due to Uriah's profound integrity. This forces David to sink deeper into sin, orchestrating Uriah's murder by the hands of the enemy. The chapter concludes with David taking Bathsheba as his wife, seemingly successful in his cover-up, but ends with the ominous declaration that his actions were evil in the eyes of the LORD, setting the stage for divine judgment.

2 Samuel 11 Context

At the height of his power and fame, David reigned from Jerusalem. It was spring, the customary season for military campaigns in the ancient Near East, a time when armies could live off the land. The architecture of Jerusalem, with the king's palace built on higher ground, allowed a view into the courtyards of surrounding homes. The king held absolute power of life and death over his subjects. The story is a polemic against the divine-king ideologies of surrounding nations (like Egypt and Mesopotamia) whose propaganda would never portray their king in such a morally compromised light. It asserts that Israel’s king is not above God's covenant law.

2 Samuel 11:1

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

In-depth-analysis

The Time: "In the spring of the year" (li-teshubat ha-shanah - at the return of the year) was the standard time for warfare.
The Duty: "The time when kings go out to battle" establishes the expected role of a king. David, the once-active warrior, is now an administrative king.
The Contrast: David "sent" his army but "remained" at Jerusalem. This dereliction of duty and subsequent idleness create the environment for temptation. His absence from his post is the foundational sin from which all others in the chapter spring.
His previous diligence in seeking the Lord before battle is notably absent (cf. 2 Sam 5:19, 23).

Bible references

1 Chr 20:1: 'In the spring of the year... David sent Joab... But David remained at Jerusalem.' (A direct parallel, but it omits the scandalous details that follow, focusing only on the military victory.)
Ecc 10:18: 'Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through idleness the house leaks.' (Wisdom literature on the dangers of idleness.)

Cross references

1 Ki 15:5 (David did right except in Uriah's matter); Isa 5:11-12 (Woe to those who are complacent); Rev 3:15-16 (Danger of spiritual complacency).

2 Samuel 11:2-5

2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”

In-depth-analysis

Progression of Sin: The narrative methodically lays out David's steps into sin: He arose (from idleness), saw (lust of the eyes), inquired (premeditation), sent and took (abuse of power), and lay with her (adultery). This chain mirrors other biblical temptations.
bath-sheba: Her name means "daughter of an oath." Her father, Eliam, is listed as one of David's mighty men (2 Sam 23:34), as is her husband, Uriah (2 Sam 23:39). David is sinning against the family of one of his elite warriors.
‘uriyah ha-hitti (Uriah the Hittite): Uriah is likely a foreign-born warrior who has assimilated and become a loyal Yahweh-worshipper. His impeccable character will later serve as a foil to David's corruption.
Abuse of Power: David "sent messengers and took her" (laqach). This is the verb of a king issuing a command. The power dynamic is clear; this was not a mutually arranged affair but a royal summons she could not refuse.
Ritual Purity: The parenthetical note "(Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness)" is theologically crucial. It means her menstrual cycle had just ended. This detail confirms:
1. The resulting pregnancy is undeniably David's.
2. Ironically, she was ritually clean according to Mosaic law when David, the king, made her ritually unclean through adultery.
Consequence: "I am pregnant." The sin now has a public, undeniable consequence that demands action.

Bible references

Gen 3:6: '...she saw that the tree was good for food... she took of its fruit and ate...' (Parallels the pattern of seeing, desiring, and taking.)
James 1:14-15: '...each person is tempted when he is lured... by his own desire. Then desire... gives birth to sin, and sin... brings forth death.' (The classic NT explanation of temptation's progression.)
Job 31:1: 'I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?' (Job's personal standard, which David violates.)

Cross references

Ex 20:14, 17 (Forbidden adultery, coveting); Gen 39:7-9 (Joseph fleeing temptation); Matt 5:28 (Lust as adultery of the heart); 1 John 2:16 (Lust of flesh, eyes, pride); Lev 15:19-28 (Laws on ritual purification).

Polemics

The narrative avoids assigning blame to Bathsheba. The agency rests entirely with David ("David sent...David took"). This is a critique of a patriarchal system where powerful men could exploit women. While some have debated her culpability (e.g., bathing in a visible location), the text's focus is on David's active sin and abuse of his royal authority. He is the shepherd who preys on his own sheep.

2 Samuel 11:6-13

6 So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was and how the people were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king's house, and a gift from the king followed him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house... 11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”... 13 And David invited him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

In-depth-analysis

The Cover-up: David moves from lust to deception. His plan is to have Uriah sleep with Bathsheba to provide plausible paternity for the child.
Uriah’s Integrity: Uriah's character is the moral center of the chapter. He exhibits three profound loyalties that shame David:
1. To God: He will not seek comfort while "the ark" (the symbol of God's presence) is in a temporary dwelling (booth/sukkah).
2. To Country: He will not indulge while "Israel and Judah" are at war.
3. To Comrades: He will not enjoy pleasure while "my lord Joab and the servants of my lord" are roughing it "in the open field."
Painful Irony: Uriah's oath, "As you live, and as your soul lives," is sworn to the very man who is plotting to cover a sin that will lead to his death.
Desperation: David’s final, desperate attempt is to get Uriah drunk, believing that intoxication will lower his resolve. Uriah's integrity holds firm even when his judgment is impaired, highlighting its depth. David's treachery becomes more vile by contrast.

Bible references

2 Sam 23:39: 'Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.' (Lists Uriah among David's "Mighty Men," emphasizing he is not just a random soldier.)
Matt 8:8-10: 'The centurion answered, "...But only say the word..." When Jesus heard this, he marveled...' (A foreign soldier's faith/loyalty held up as an example, just as Uriah's is.)
1 Cor 9:25: 'Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.' (Uriah's discipline is a living rebuke to David's lack of it.)

Cross references

Deut 20:7 (Soldiers with new wives could go home); Deut 23:9 (Holiness in the army camp); Hab 2:15 (Woe to him who gives his neighbor drink).

2 Samuel 11:14-25

14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down and die.” ... 21 ...‘Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?...Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’” ... 25 David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab, ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another.’...'

In-depth-analysis

Sin's Final Stage: Deception failed, so David resorts to premeditated murder.
Uriah, the Faithful Messenger: In a moment of supreme, tragic irony, Uriah carries his own death warrant. His faithfulness is weaponized against him.
Complicity of Joab: David implicates his general, Joab, making him an accessory to murder. This act corrupts not just David, but the entire command structure of Israel. Joab's complicity here will grant him leverage over David later (cf. 2 Sam 3:27, 2 Sam 19:5-7).
Calculated Murder: David's instructions are specific and tactical. He is using his military knowledge, once a gift for Israel, for a wicked end.
David's Callous Response: His reaction to the news—"Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another"—is a feigned, cliché-ridden attempt to appear like a king consoling his general over a battlefield loss. It reveals the chilling coldness that has overtaken his heart.

Bible references

1 Kings 21:8-10: 'So she [Jezebel] wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal...proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people...' (A close parallel of using letters and royal power to orchestrate murder for personal gain.)
Prov 6:16-17: 'There are six things that the LORD hates... haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.' (David is now guilty of at least three of these.)

Cross references

Jer 17:9 (The heart is deceitful); Prov 26:24-26 (Hate disguised with speech); 2 Sam 3:29 (David curses Joab for murder).

2 Samuel 11:26-27

26 When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented for her husband. 27 And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

In-depth-analysis

Procedural Decency: Both Bathsheba and David observe the culturally required mourning period. This veneer of propriety makes the underlying sin even more grotesque.
"She became his wife": From David's perspective, his plan has succeeded perfectly. He has eliminated the husband and obtained the woman. The sin is covered.
The True Judge: "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." The Hebrew is stark: wayyera‘ haddabar ’asher-‘asah dawid be‘eyney Yahweh ("and the thing that David did was evil in the eyes of Yahweh").
This final sentence changes everything. It acts as the divine verdict and transitions the entire narrative from a story of human intrigue to one of divine judgment. Human courts may be deceived or bypassed, but God sees and judges. This sentence is the pivot upon which the entire second half of David's reign turns.

Bible references

Ps 51 (Title): 'A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.' (The psalm of repentance that arises directly from this event and God's displeasure.)
Heb 13:4: 'Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.' (An apostolic restatement of the principle David violated.)
Gal 6:7: 'Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.' (The principle that will govern the consequences David faces in subsequent chapters.)

Cross references

Prov 15:3 (Eyes of the Lord are everywhere); Gen 6:5-6 (God saw evil); Num 32:23 (...be sure your sin will find you out); Ps 32 (Consequences of unconfessed sin).

2 Samuel 11 Analysis

The Turning Point: This chapter is the narrative and theological hinge of David's entire reign. Prior to this, his story is one of righteous ascent and divine blessing. After this, his story is one of consequence, family strife, and personal sorrow (rebellion of Absalom, rape of Tamar, murder of Amnon).
A King Under the Law: This story fundamentally refutes any notion that the Israelite king was a divine figure above the law. It shows that even the greatest king is a subject of Yahweh and is accountable for his sin.
Uriah as an 'Ebed Yahweh` (Servant of the Lord): Uriah the Hittite, a foreigner, embodies the covenant loyalty of a true servant of Yahweh more than the Israelite king himself. His refusal to go home is rooted in a soldier's holy war piety—he will not enjoy comfort while the Ark and his comrades are in the field. This serves as a powerful, unspoken rebuke to David's self-indulgence.
Literary Artistry: The author uses a sparse, reportorial style. David’s internal thoughts are hidden, forcing the reader to judge him by his actions alone. The pace accelerates as David's desperation grows, from a lazy afternoon walk to a flurry of messages, schemes, and finally a fatal command.

2 Samuel 11 Summary

King David, abdicating his royal duty to lead his army, remains in Jerusalem. An idle glance leads to a cascade of sin: lust for Bathsheba, adultery, and pregnancy. To hide his transgression, he first tries to deceive her husband, the deeply honorable soldier Uriah. When Uriah's integrity thwarts his plan, David orchestrates his murder in battle. Believing his crimes are hidden, he takes Bathsheba as his wife, but the chapter closes with the critical verdict: David’s actions were evil in God’s sight, setting the stage for judgment.

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2 Samuel chapter 11 kjv

¹ And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
² And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
³ And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
⁴ And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
⁵ And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
⁶ And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
⁷ And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
⁸ And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
¹⁰ And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?
¹¹ And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
¹² And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
¹³ And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
¹⁴ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
¹⁶ And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
¹⁷ And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
¹⁸ Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
¹⁹ And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
²⁰ And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
²¹ Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
²² So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.
²³ And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.
²⁴ And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
²⁵ Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
²⁶ And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
²⁷ And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

2 Samuel chapter 11 nkjv

¹ It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
² Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.
³ So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"
⁴ Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.
⁵ And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, "I am with child."
⁶ Then David sent to Joab, saying, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David.
⁷ When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered.
⁸ And David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." So Uriah departed from the king's house, and a gift of food from the king followed him.
⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
¹⁰ So when they told David, saying, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"
¹¹ And Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing."
¹² Then David said to Uriah, "Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.
¹³ Now when David called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
¹⁴ In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter, saying, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die."
¹⁶ So it was, while Joab besieged the city, that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant men.
¹⁷ Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
¹⁸ Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war,
¹⁹ and charged the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling the matters of the war to the king,
²⁰ if it happens that the king's wrath rises, and he says to you: 'Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
²¹ Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who cast a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall?'?then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.' "
²² So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent by him.
²³ And the messenger said to David, "Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in the field; then we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate.
²⁴ The archers shot from the wall at your servants; and some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."
²⁵ Then David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall say to Joab: 'Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.' So encourage him."
²⁶ When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
²⁷ And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

2 Samuel chapter 11 niv

¹ In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
² One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,
³ and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite."
⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home.
⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant."
⁶ So David sent this word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent him to David.
⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going.
⁸ Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him.
⁹ But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master's servants and did not go down to his house.
¹⁰ David was told, "Uriah did not go home." So he asked Uriah, "Haven't you just come from a military campaign? Why didn't you go home?"
¹¹ Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!"
¹² Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.
¹³ At David's invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master's servants; he did not go home.
¹⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
¹⁵ In it he wrote, "Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die."
¹⁶ So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were.
¹⁷ When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.
¹⁸ Joab sent David a full account of the battle.
¹⁹ He instructed the messenger: "When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle,
²⁰ the king's anger may flare up, and he may ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall?
²¹ Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn't a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?' If he asks you this, then say to him, 'Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'?"
²² The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say.
²³ The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate.
²⁴ Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead."
²⁵ David told the messenger, "Say this to Joab: 'Don't let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.' Say this to encourage Joab."
²⁶ When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.
²⁷ After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the LORD.

2 Samuel chapter 11 esv

¹ In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
² It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
³ And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"
⁴ So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.
⁵ And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant."
⁶ So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David.
⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going.
⁸ Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king.
⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
¹⁰ When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"
¹¹ Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing."
¹² Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.
¹³ And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
¹⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
¹⁵ In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die."
¹⁶ And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.
¹⁷ And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.
¹⁸ Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting.
¹⁹ And he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king,
²⁰ then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
²¹ Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"
²² So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell.
²³ The messenger said to David, "The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.
²⁴ Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."
²⁵ David said to the messenger, "Thus shall you say to Joab, 'Do not let this matter displease you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.' And encourage him."
²⁶ When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband.
²⁷ And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

2 Samuel chapter 11 nlt

¹ In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.
² Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.
³ He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite."
⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home.
⁵ Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, "I'm pregnant."
⁶ Then David sent word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent him to David.
⁷ When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing.
⁸ Then he told Uriah, "Go on home and relax. " David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace.
⁹ But Uriah didn't go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king's palace guard.
¹⁰ When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, "What's the matter? Why didn't you go home last night after being away for so long?"
¹¹ Uriah replied, "The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master's men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing."
¹² "Well, stay here today," David told him, "and tomorrow you may return to the army." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.
¹³ Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn't get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king's palace guard.
¹⁴ So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver.
¹⁵ The letter instructed Joab, "Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed."
¹⁶ So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy's strongest men were fighting.
¹⁷ And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.
¹⁸ Then Joab sent a battle report to David.
¹⁹ He told his messenger, "Report all the news of the battle to the king.
²⁰ But he might get angry and ask, 'Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn't they know there would be shooting from the walls?
²¹ Wasn't Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?' Then tell him, 'Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.'"
²² So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David.
²³ "The enemy came out against us in the open fields," he said. "And as we chased them back to the city gate,
²⁴ the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king's men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite."
²⁵ "Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged," David said. "The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!"
²⁶ When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.
²⁷ When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the LORD was displeased with what David had done.